Upper Darby opens Naylors Run Trail Section 5A after $500,000 partnership

Upper Darby Township on Thursday celebrated the completion of Naylors Run Trail Section 5A, a roughly quarter-mile segment described by township officials as "a nearly $500,000 investment" funded equally by Upper Darby Township and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources's Community Conservation Partnerships Program, Rita LaRue, the township's director of Community and Economic Development, said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony drew local and state officials who framed the project as an accessibility, health and economic-development asset. "It will allow people to experience nature, fresh air, and have another opportunity for a healthy lifestyle," Mayor Ed Brown said, noting the trail provides "a safe connection between Garrett and Marshall Road" and is designed to be accessible to children, seniors and people with disabilities.

The project, officials said, was a product of local volunteer advocacy and intergovernmental funding. LaRue thanked the Upper Darby Environmental Advisory Committee and the Friends of Upper Darby Trails for years of volunteer work and credited county planning staff and partners. "We understand that the connections created through beautiful and accessible trails such as segment 5A are key to a thriving Upper Darby," LaRue said.

Delaware County Council Chair Richard Womack said the county's greenways grants and partnerships with federal, state and local governments helped make the trail possible. "We pride ourselves in supporting the trailways," Womack said, urging continued investment in safe public spaces.

State representatives who spoke praised grassroots advocacy that pushed the project forward. "They didn't wait for the Township," said Rep. Heather Boyd, referring to local trail advocates who began building and promoting trails years ago. Rep. Gina H. Curry said the section strengthens cross-neighborhood connectivity, noting the trail reaches into Lansdowne and creates places "where neighbors can connect."

U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon placed Section 5A in the context of a larger regional network, saying the Naylors Run Trail is part of a nine-county, 800-plus Circuit Trails system that expands recreational and transportation opportunities across the region.

The ceremony included acknowledgments of project partners and contractors named at the event: Pennoni (designer), Premium Construction (contractor), Delaware Valley Watershed Association, Bike Delco, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and the Circuit Trails Coalition. Organizers invited attendees to remain for a "Move with the Mayor" walk on the new trail immediately after the ribbon cutting.

The township said the segment was funded equally by the municipality and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Community Conservation Partnerships Program. Additional program details, long-term maintenance responsibilities and specific construction costs per line item were not specified at the ceremony.

Organizers said they will seek community input on uses for a proposed community center nearby and encouraged residents to use the trail and continue advocacy for more greenways.

The ribbon cutting concluded with applause and an invitation for the public walk along the new segment.